The present invention relates to an ultrasonic centering apparatus.
It is known that remote interventions in radioactive or chemical media having a hostile nature are often indispensable for inspection or manipulation purposes. It may also prove advantageous to place a testing instrument in an enclosure having an axis of symmetry. This is particularly the case when it is necessary to inspect irradiated vessels of nuclear power stations or submerged parts by means of ultrasonics. Due to coupling with the fluid ultrasonics propagate easily in submerged parts.
It is particularly useful to use systems where it is not necessary to centre by means of a mechanical contact, because the latter makes it necessary to use mechanical return means and a relatively unreliable and always expensive linkage, whilst often bringing about contamination by contact.